The council has agreed to step in and offer a temporary home to a mum and her five children after a mix-up over how much funding they would be able to offer her for rented accommodation.

Janet Spark of Redburn, Bonhill contacted the Lennox recently to protest that West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC) had pulled out of a pledge to pay a £700 deposit and a large percentage of her rent when she went to them for help.

But the local authority says no guarantees were made, given that the 50-year-old’s current financial situation makes her a poor credit risk.

However, they have offered to rehouse her before she has to move out of her present home on Wednesday following a split with her long-term partner.

“I’m at my wits’ end,” Ms Spark said last Monday.

“I have five kids aged between six and 15 and we are all going to be homeless. I have to get out of my home because me and my partner of 14 years are splitting up and there’s no way I’m leaving my kids behind.

“The five-apartment private let house I found in Ladyton would have been ideal. There’s a school literally yards away.

“A representative from WDC was there when I went to view it, to make sure it was suitable. He agreed that they would pay the deposit of £700 and most of the rent.

“Then later on he took a phone call and had completely changed his tune, telling me that I would have to come up with the cash myself instead of paying £50, and saying that I need to come up with £400 a month myself.

“But I’m unemployed - I don’t have that kind of money.

“I had already signed the paperwork for the new property and we had to just tear it up. The landlord was really disappointed - he was nearly as upset as me.”

A spokeswoman for WDC said: “The monthly rent on the property identified by Ms Spark was beyond her current income. Given the risk of her falling into rent arrears, it was impossible for the council to guarantee her deposit under the Rent Deposit Guarantee Scheme.

“We understand Ms Spark’s disappointment.

“However, our view is that a council tenancy is the appropriate, affordable option for her and her family.

“We will provide Ms Spark with temporary accommodation before April 2 when she has to vacate her current accommodation.”